1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a self-attaching trim guard for the bottom of a fence which facilitates removal of vegetation with a line trimmer and is installable on a pre-existing fence. The edge protector may be used on chain link or wooden type fences.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fence edge trim protectors are disclosed in the prior art for placement along the bottom edge of a fence, particularly chain link fences, in order to stop the growth of vegetation up into the fence itself, to prevent a mower from striking the fence when mowing directly adjacent to it, or to reduce the tendency for the fence to break the cutting line of a string trimmer while at the same time allowing grass to grow right up near the bottom of the fence. These functions have not generally been combined.
Typically, the devices of both types are made flat to slide under the fence and then they are folded up around the fence and fastened. The necessity for folding portions of the device seriously undermines the cost effectiveness because a high quality plastic which is amenable to folding and bending is required and less expensive materials, such as recycled plastic, are generally precluded from use, even though edge trimming for a fence would be an ideal application for low quality recycled materials.
The type of device which prevents growth of grass and other types of vegetation underneath and in close proximity to a fence of which U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,065 is an example, functions by having a very wide base which also serves to support the wheels of a lawn mower and moves the growing edge of grass away from the fence. It is produced in the flat and requires severe bending in order to place it in position under and against the bottom edge of a fence.
The other type of device which is primarily useful for protecting the line trimmer is relatively narrow and is generally made from flat planar material with built-in fastener grooves as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,783. After sliding under the bottom edge of the fence, the device is folded up on either side and fasteners are placed through the openings in the fence to connect each of the fastener grooves that are formed in the flat structure prior to being used.
Because this device is relatively narrow in width at the bottom, the grass can grow up close to the edge of the fence and yet be readily trimmed without damaging a line trimmer. Severe folding from a flat to a U-shaped configuration is required during use. The narrow type of device also has the advantage that it can pass by the intermediate posts in a chain link fence without a distortion or a special structural modification to accommodate the space occupied by the posts.
The wide bottom type of structure necessarily must accommodate the post generally by custom cutting or mitering modifications which are labor intensive and greatly increase the cost of installation. The pieces must necessarily terminate at each of the corner and intermediate posts; otherwise, the posts themselves would prevent installation. This further increases the costs by reducing the maximum length that can be used and requiring a joint at each post. In both types of edge protectors, the joints are unsightly, especially in the wide bottom structure, because there are so many of them.